What do canned foods, architects and a scavenger hunt have in common? CANstruction! On Septempber 5th teams of architects, engineers, contractors, designers and students attending schools of architecture, engineering and design will set up in several locations downtown to build structuresmade entirely of canned foods! The day starts with teams having 12 hours to build their ‘Around the World’ themed structure followed by a public unveiling during the First Friday Gallery Walk (including a scavenger hunt!) and finishing up with a Gala & Awards Celebration at Union Tavern.

Local businesses such as Raleigh Happening, Union Tavern, AIA Triangle, Big Boss and VMZINC have partnered with Triangle CANStruction to make this event possible. Build locations include CAM, Visual Art Exchange, Raleigh City Museum and Red Hat. Awards will be given for People’s Choice (vote by liking your favorite build’s photo on Facebook!), Best Meal, Best Use of Labels, Structural Ingenuity and more. The structures will be up for the entire month of September and all of the canned foods will then be donated to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.

The event is spearheaded by Bailey Allred, designer at HH Architecture and Jessica Urso, Marketing Manager at Cline Design Associates, PA. Their goal for CANstruction is two-fold. First, to give a voice to the growing problem of hunger in Raleigh during ‘Hunger Action Month’. Second, to blend the world of architecture and design in a platform that the public can embrace and experience up close.

Allred has 9 years of experience in the design profession, she has provided specialized programming, planning, and design knowledge for many public and private projects. Her design experience encompasses a variety of project types including residential, retail, commercial, municipal, educational, institutional, and higher education facilities. Allred graduated from NC State University with a Bachelors of environmental design of architecture and with a minor in art and design.

Urso has over 8 years of experiences in the design and construction industry. She facilitates and coordinates the firm’s efforts in developing new business as well as maintaining existing relationships. In addition, she develops strategic marketing campaigns and manages graphic standards to ensure a consistent brand and message. With a passion for community service, Jessica leads the firm’s volunteer and community service program. She is an active participant in SMPS, TCREW, DRA and the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce.

Last year’s CANstruction event involved 8 teams and over 31,200 cans which provided over 27,000 meals for the food bank. The 2013 event reached over 30,000 people between First Friday and Facebook. For a peak at some of last year’s ‘Pitch Your Tent’ themed event check out these pics:

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